THE STAVORDALE MARIONETTES

Buster & Madge Stavordale with puppets from An Elizabethan Fantasy

Teddy & Eddie - Songs & Melodies at the Piano

Publicity sketch of the Gendarmes

Zena & Peter the Page

Scenes from Alice

Barney the Bashful Bullfrog

Gus & his Performing Seals

Sharp's Toffee Puppet Theatre Programme

The Witching Hour

The Three Wishes

Chabriel


Buster (Cecil) & Madge Stavordale took up puppetry as a hobby and turned professional in 1947.  They were one of the first Puppet Companies to use a tape-recorded backing sound-track, rather than providing live voices for their characters, thus freeing up the puppeteers to concentrate on manipulation. 

The Stavordales appeared in schools, private functions and several advertising contracts including the Gas Industry (Mr Therm's Puppets) and most famously, a 7-year contract with Sharps' Toffees Puppet Theatre.  This was the Stavordales' own show, but sponsored by Sharps and with Sharps' trademark character "Sir Kreemy Knut", as compere.

On TV, they were puppeteers on Gerry Anderson's early series "Supercar" and the BBC's "Andy Pandy".  In 1964, they re-located from London to Westgate-on-Sea in Kent and performed Summer Seasons at Folkstone Marine Pavilion and local Hotels until their professional career came to an end through ill health in 1983.

Photos from the Douglas Hayward Puppet Archives